The present invention relates to a reflector for a vehicular headlight and, in particular, to a reflector for a vehicular headlight which uses a light distribution control operation provided by four reflection areas divided about the optical axis of the reflector to obtain a desired light distribution pattern suitable for a low (passing) beam, or a beam substantially similar to a low beam.
Recent trends in car design require the development of new types of headlights. Particularly, to obtain desired aerodynamic characteristics and to provide a streamlined appearance, the front portion of the car is narrowed to provide a so-called slant nose appearance, and therefore the headlight must be designed so as to conform to the slant nose shape.
However, in a conventional headlight, lens steps in an outer lens play an important role in light distribution control so as to form a light distribution pattern having a specific cut line in the low beam. There is a limit though to the angle of inclination of the outer lens with respect to its vertical axis, which makes it difficult for the conventional headlight to serve as a slant-nose type headlight.
In view of the above, there have been proposed various headlights in which, in order to shift the light distribution control function originally performed by the lens steps in the outer lens to the reflector, the reflecting surface of the reflector is divided into a large number of light distribution control areas such that the composite pattern of the reflection patterns provided by the respective control areas approximates a desired light distribution pattern, thereby reducing the burden on the outer lens in light distribution control.
However, in trying to obtain a light distribution pattern having a specific cut line with a conventional reflection surface, when the reflection surface is composed of a plurality of reflection areas having different light distribution control characteristics, it is difficult to smoothly connect the mutually adjoining reflection areas to each other at their boundaries, and therefore a portion of the reflected light is unavoidably converted into upwardly facing light due to the presence of stepped portions formed at the boundaries of the reflection areas, which may result in glare.